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I have tried to sign in repeatedly over the last few days so that I could give a public comment over Zoom, however each time, the website says "Gateway timed out". Please give me an opportunity to speak at the meeting. Also, please fix the website or allow people to comment without needing to sign in in advance.
Schools all over OUSD are getting green schoolyards, which is a huge benefit for students' mental and emotional health, but maybe most importantly as mitigation against the ever increasing temperatures. Many asphalt yards can reach over 145 degrees on hot days, with no shade; meanwhile yards with trees and grass or mulch can be up to 70 degrees cooler. However these benefits will only be realized if the trees and plants survive. Irrigation systems are being installed in all of these green spaces, yet no long term maintenance is being funded at any of these sites. Neither Buildings and Grounds, nor Eat Learn Play/Kaboom (the funders of many of these projects) are are taking responsibility. At MLA, half of the 40 trees planted 3 years ago have died due to irrigation problems. How much money is being wasted as these trees all over OUSD die? When these projects fail it is also a shame for the students, who are not getting the benefits that we are working so hard to give them.